Margaret Gyetko, the senior associate dean for faculty and faculty development at the University Medical School, held a seminar Tuesday to address the ways that the Medical School’s faculty members can best earn promotions and tenure.

The meeting was part of a series hosted by the school’s dean, James Woolliscroft, as a way to promote interaction between the Medical School community and its leadership. The series of town halls supplement issues raised in Woolliscroft’s State of the School presentation, which was held in September.

This event was Gyetko’s seventh seminar on the topic. The idea for the series first emerged after she received large numbers of poorly prepared promotion packages from the school’s faculty.

“I had been getting a lot of applications where it was very clear to me that (the applicants) were smart and talented, but they didn’t know how to plan ahead in a way best conducive to achieving promotions,” Gyetko said. “You know, we have an amazing and brilliant faculty, but the only way to win the game is to know the rules, and know if you’re ahead or behind.”

The seminar focused on what aspects are most valued and scrutinized by the school’s leadership when making decisions about promotions of faculty members.

Gyetko’s talk focused on different ways that faculty could prepare their promotion packages to make themselves most appealing, as well as the types of goals they try to achieve that would make them ideal candidates for a promotion in the future.

Gyetko added that the timeline to obtain a promotion is long and cannot be rushed in the five years before a faculty member requests career advancement. She also said it’s important for faculty to understand that moving up is natural and that they should strive for it.

During the seminar, Gyetko said she recommends cultivating relationships with people in the same field, following through on promises and ensuring preparedness for the added responsibilities that accompany a promotion. She also drew attention to a program available at the Medical School to help faculty assess their readiness before beginning to prepare promotion packages.